Superficial siderosis and intracranial hypotension syndrome following brachial plexus avulsion injury. A case of surgical treatment

Abstract

Superficial siderosis (SS) is a slowly progressive neurodegenerative disorder caused by persistent or intermittent bleeding into the subarachnoid space. It leads to characteristic clinical and radiographic findings. Dural pathology is believed to be the most common identifiable etiology of SS. It has been suggested that dural tear may be the common pathology of both SS and intracranial hypotension syndrome. We present a patient with SS caused by posttraumatic duropathy that was associated with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) hypotension headache. Patient was treated surgically with stabilization of neurological deficit and orthostatic headache improvement. It supports the speculated link between both entities and may confirm surgery being a reasonable approach in patients with SS.

Keywords: Brachial plexus avulsion; CSF leak; Pseudomeningocele; Superficial siderosis; Ventral longitudinal intraspinal fluid collection.